[M T]

Ukraine has taken credit for the USV attack on the Russian Black Sea fleet.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukrainian-mad...00899.html

Unfortunately the relatively small warhead carried by these vessels is unlikely to do significant damage to a warship. Their warhead is about the same size as a lightweight torpedo (like the Mark 54). This kind of weapon is effective against a surface vessel only if it targets the screws/rudder area but otherwise, as they say, it "just scratches the paint". These USVs appear unable to do that. IMHO it might have been wiser for Ukraine to do a bit more development and make them acoustic homing weapons so they could wreck the propulsion systems. Otherwise, kind of wasted.

I don't see the source for saying the warhead is about the size of a lightweight torpedo.  There were two versions of a pre-dawn video from the shore showing what appeared to be a very large explosion (both versions apparently from the same webcam).  Would that be this warhead that is ineffective on a surface vessel?  Also, there was a daytime video showing an isolated explosion in the Sebastopol harbor (with helicopter nearby) - same explosion as at the end of one of the videos linked in this thread.  The camera was about 2 miles away from the explosion (10 seconds until the boom) and local car alarms can be heard.  That seems bigger than a small warhead.  (Note, it wasn't clear whether this video was of a previously found USV that was towed out to be destroyed, or part of the drone attack.  I suspect the former so maybe it was added explosives to destroy the USV.)

I don't understand why one would want acoustic homing devices.  The USVs were clearly being steered by someone watching the video, but perhaps clumsily.  I presume that whatever units were involved in designing & building & executing this attack had people that knew where they wanted to strike the vessels.    (Would acoustic homing work against docked ships?  I doubt these USVs have much chance against the ships in motion.)

I haven't seen the video showing a "USV roaming between the docked ships inside the harbor".

The Russians shut down the webcams in Sebastopol after the attack.

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In other news today, Russia is telling people to evacuate within 9 miles of the EAST bank of the Dnipro River.  I suspect that has less to do with humanitarian needs or even resettlement as it is intended to reduce the ability for the residents to report military positions or to engage in sabotage or insurgency.

I'm not sure that there is anything new in this report about US deliveries of NASAMS.  It does say that Raytheon delivered two to the US a few weeks ago, due to be in Ukraine by end of November.  It also indicate the US provided 1400 Stinger MANPADs.

[M T]

Ukraine has taken credit for the USV attack on the Russian Black Sea fleet.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukrainian-mad...00899.html

Unfortunately the relatively small warhead carried by these vessels is unlikely to do significant damage to a warship. Their warhead is about the same size as a lightweight torpedo (like the Mark 54). This kind of weapon is effective against a surface vessel only if it targets the screws/rudder area but otherwise, as they say, it "just scratches the paint". These USVs appear unable to do that. IMHO it might have been wiser for Ukraine to do a bit more development and make them acoustic homing weapons so they could wreck the propulsion systems. Otherwise, kind of wasted.

I don't see the source for saying the warhead is about the size of a lightweight torpedo.  There were two versions of a pre-dawn video from the shore showing what appeared to be a very large explosion (both versions apparently from the same webcam).  Would that be this warhead that is ineffective on a surface vessel?  Also, there was a daytime video showing an isolated explosion in the Sebastopol harbor (with helicopter nearby) - same explosion as at the end of one of the videos linked in this thread.  The camera was about 2 miles away from the explosion (10 seconds until the boom) and local car alarms can be heard.  That seems bigger than a small warhead.  (Note, it wasn't clear whether this video was of a previously found USV that was towed out to be destroyed, or part of the drone attack.  I suspect the former so maybe it was added explosives to destroy the USV.)

I don't understand why one would want acoustic homing devices.  The USVs were clearly being steered by someone watching the video, but perhaps clumsily.  I presume that whatever units were involved in designing & building & executing this attack had people that knew where they wanted to strike the vessels.    (Would acoustic homing work against docked ships?  I doubt these USVs have much chance against the ships in motion.)

I haven't seen the video showing a "USV roaming between the docked ships inside the harbor".

The Russians shut down the webcams in Sebastopol after the attack.

------

In other news today, Russia is telling people to evacuate within 9 miles of the EAST bank of the Dnipro River.  I suspect that has less to do with humanitarian needs or even resettlement as it is intended to reduce the ability for the residents to report military positions or to engage in sabotage or insurgency.

I'm not sure that there is anything new in this report about US deliveries of NASAMS.  It does say that Raytheon delivered two to the US a few weeks ago, due to be in Ukraine by end of November.  It also indicate the US provided 1400 Stinger MANPADs.